your daily dose of sunshine
by itachiboutit
Summary: Like the title suggests except not...daily (as much as I wished that I operated on a daily schedule, I do not.) Just a collection of Sunshine family things, oneshots, possibly multi-shots along the way. The fluffiest thing I will ever write.


**Hello again all! I am back, after much more of a delay than I would have liked, but I'm here, I've got loads of stuff on the way but for now here's this lil Sunshine series I'm starting for when I need to clean out my drafts!**

**Title: Fort Uzumaki **

**Word Count: 4,757**

**Summary: It's fluff and pillows with just a touch of angst; I can say that there is an 75% chance that the rest of what's posted will be purely fluffy. (sorry, I run on angst)**

_A/N: ...I spent wayyyyyyy too much time on this, but it's cute so it was worth it._

...

Thunder rumbled in the distance and Hinata's half awake brain gauged that the storm she'd sensed on the way back to the village was nearby. She buried herself deeper in the sheets, jostling the lump beside her ever so slightly. It had been a busy week full of missions and Hinata had just gotten back from a day long assignment a few hours prior. All she wanted to do— besides squeezing her family half to death, she'd missed them so much— was sleep. Being a mother, wife, and shinobi was a tiring business, she realized more and more everyday.

She'd drifted off but was shortly awoken by the sharp crack of lightning. Instinctively, she nestled a bit closer to Naruto and was well on her way back to sleep when she heard shuffling down the hall.

Having just returned from a surveillance mission, she was on high alert before she was able to tell herself to relax. The telltale sound of small feet padding across the wooden floor didn't escape her well trained ears. A sudden thought flitted across her mind and she realized that Himawari must have woken up. Hinata awaited her daughter's arrival, but there was nothing.

A door opened down the hall, closed quietly, then all was silent. Boruto had probably needed to go to the bathroom, she reasoned, and Himawari was still sound asleep. _She's okay_.

Still… Her mother's intuition said she should check on her daughter, just to be safe.

White light filled her bedroom and the house practically shook from the lighting's strike. A downpour of rain followed.

Hinata jolted slightly at the muffled yelp that came from one of the other rooms. She quickly slid out of bed to see to the three year old. The storm was bound to only get worse, and Himawari must have been scared already.

Making her way down the hallway, Hinata found her daughter's door ajar. Glancing inside though, Himawari was nowhere to be seen. Panic immediately engulfed her and Hinata's eyes flicked towards the doors in the hall, analyzing before doing anything rash.

Himawari generally slept through the night and if not she was in her parents' room within seconds. The bathroom light was off and she couldn't make out any sign of movement downstairs. Eyes making their way around the hall, she stopped at Boruto's door. His door was cracked ever so slightly and Hinata poked her head inside.

Hand to her chest, she sighed in relief when she saw two lumps huddled underneath the blanket on Boruto's bed.

She approached them, "Himawari? Boruto? What are you two doing under there?"

Her daughter shot out first, the three year old scrambling to get into her arms, "Mommy! It's loud!"

Boruto, slinked out slower, keeping the blankets close. (Hinata found that in their world, one was safest from any type of danger underneath blankets.)

"Oh the storm? Yeah it is pretty loud tonight, are you alright?

As if to prove her point, another round of lightning lit up the sky.

Hinata anticipated for her daughter to clench onto her in fear, bury her face in her neck and demand that her mother hold her tighter. That wasn't the response she got, though.

Himawari didn't seem to be affected by the loud noises coming from outside at all, which was strange. Usually she and Boruto were huddled close together during a storm, the elder offering comfort.

Himawari gazed at the white light that shone on her brother's walls as fearlessly as if it were a light show. If Himawari was okay then why wasn't she in her own room?

It was then that Hinata saw the now-blanketed figure's trepidations and realization dawned on her.

"Look Boru!" Himawari called to her retreated brother. "It's real bright and pretty too! You don't gotta be scared now!"

A petrified voice responded, "I'm n-not scared!"

Unfortunately for her son, Hinata knew a frightened stutter when she heard one. And while her daughter climbed down and back to her brother's side, all the pieces began to come together.

When Boruto was a baby, he was terrified of thunderstorms. He'd be inconsolable, continuing to cry well after the storms had passed. He'd somehow been able to conceal his fear over time, leaving her to believe that he was growing out of it. Tactfully, Boruto had gotten she and Naruto to believe that it was _Himawari_ who was afraid, directing the attention away from him. But now that she thought about it, that touch of anxiety he'd display on rainy days never really went away, but he'd swear up and down that he wasn't scared, he was gonna be the biggest, best shinobi in the village, he wasn't scared of rain, or anything for that matter. In fact, they protected those who _were_ scared, like his sister for instance. He'd flash his mother a fearless smile— one that he undoubtedly inherited from his father— and all Hinata could do was marvel at how brave a kid he was. Then he'd insist that they all play a game— for Himawari, of course. A particularly loud and distracting one at that. Himawari would feel better if they did, he'd remind them. (For a five year old, he was a pretty fantastic actor.)

And Himawari, bless her kind heart, did nothing to dissuade them, most likely knowing her brother's secret and keeping it hidden, just for him.

Hinata shook herself out of her daze and smiled at them, trying not to skip a beat "How about you two come sleep with me and Daddy?" She let out an exaggerated sigh, "Your father could use some comforting what with all this rain. A couple of brave kids like you would really make him feel safer."

Two pairs of blue eyes stared at her in confusion. Their father, the seven foot tall hulk of a shinobi, was scared of rain?

She smiled warmly and invited them to join her. Himawari giggled, jumping up into Hinata. The mother held out her free arm to Boruto. She believed that he'd start a whole spiel about how he was getting too old for that kind of thing but surprisingly— yet...unsurprisingly, it was turning out to be a strange night after all— he spared no time in springing up from the bed and into her grasp, and Hinata carried her two little ones back down the hall. With the way her son's fingers practically dug into her arm, her concern only grew. He'd been harboring this fear on his own for so long, and she hadn't even noticed.

Naruto was still snoring away by the time she returned and she hoped that Boruto and Himawari didn't catch her little white lie.

Thunder rattled the windows and her children clambered down from her arms and burrowed into their parents' bed (the safest refuge of them all). Naruto snorted at the sudden movement and begrudgingly opened his eyes.

"What's going on?" He asked groggily.

Hinata turned on the bedside lamp, "Boruto and Himawari came to keep you company through the storm." She gave him a look and he instantly caught on. He sat up, sleep quickly evaporating, "Really? Thanks you two. It means a lot."

"You're really scared, Dad?" Boruto asked, skepticism dripping off his voice.

His father nodded, "Course I am. But not anymore because I've got you guys with me."

Boruto seemed appeased by his answer and slid down into the covers, only allowing his head to poke out. Himawari laughed excitedly beside her brother, like the whole ordeal was a fun game.

Boruto, though, looked tense, ready to bolt at any moment, eyes glued to the window in suspicion.

"Boru! We gets to stay awake with Mommy and Daddy!"

"Oh no, little miss," Hinata told the hyperactive child. "You'll be tired in the morning. You still need your rest."

Himawari pouted, "I gotta stay wake with Boru!"

"How about we see where the night takes us?" Naruto snatched the little girl up, eliciting a stream of giggles.

Hinata looked in Boruto's direction, and then towards the window he hadn't pried his eyes away from. She rose from her spot to shut the curtains but Boruto clearly didn't want her to leave his side.

"Mom," He looked up at her with wide, glassy eyes, a silent plea rested on his face.

"It'll be okay honey, I'm just going to close the curtains alright?"

He still didn't look pleased as she walked over to the window, but Naruto was there, so she had nothing to worry about.

Just as she was drawing the curtains closed, thunder and lightning exploded in the sky and the lights flickered before shutting off. Boruto screamed bloody murder, shaking her to her core. Shortly after, Himawari was reduced to tears.

Hinata rushed back over to the bed, reaching around in the darkness for her children. They had both latched onto their father, who was doing his best to console them, but they couldn't be pacified.

She found Boruto's back and tried to free him from his awkward position where he was clenching onto his father's leg, but he only held on tighter.

"No!" He screamed through his tears. Hinata's hand retracted quickly and she was struggling not to cry herself. Her son was in _pain_. He was terrified and it was her duty to comfort him, to protect him. It was practically instinctive. So when he'd rejected her like that, it hurt way more than any kunai could have.

She kept her distance, issuing comforting words but Naruto was doing the bulk of the work, keeping as calm a voice as if nothing was wrong. He hadn't shown any hesitation in the matter, Hinata thought. Not one question as to why Boruto was so petrified and Himawari less so. He just ran with it. Maybe if she had been quicker. Maybe if she had gone to check on Himawari— no, _both_ of her children sooner. Maybe she wouldn't have been feeling Boruto's fear radiating off him in waves.

After several long minutes of incessant sobbing, a weight was placed into her lap and she felt Himawari wrap her arms around Hinata's waist.

"I'll be right back," Naruto told her.

"Dad, d-don't leave!" Boruto's voice shook.

"I know you're scared," His voice was soft. "But listen, I promise I'll be back. Mom's right here. She'll protect you."

Hinata couldn't tell if Boruto relented because he was convinced or had already suffered enough damage towards his ego. He released his father and instead of coming to her side, he buried himself underneath the blankets. Ignoring the almost numbing pain that gave her, she placed a hand on top of his huddled form.

Naruto called to the children, "Hey, Boruto, Himawari, keep Mom safe for me!"

Hinata was positive that they had no intention of letting go of her and that she didn't have the slightest clue as to what her husband was up to. She sat rocking the two when a giant, lumpy figure walked into the dark room. Her eyes could now see, to her amusement, that it was only Naruto, with about every couch cushion and pillow they had in the house. Leave it to Naruto to have the perfect distraction.

Hinata smiled and raised the covers ever so slightly. Boruto laid curled up, hands covering his ears.

"Boruto, look." She coaxed. "Dad's got something fun for us. Don't you wanna come out and see?"

Thunder rolled on and he shook his head, folding into himself. He hadn't even looked at her.

The pillows had peaked Himwari's interest, however. She sniffed and crawled her way over to the end of the bed. Naruto dumped his load of pillows, forming a small mountain in front of the child. Then a light snapped on from a flashlight he'd retrieved and Himawari's face lit up in tandem.

"Ooh! I wanna hold it Daddy! Can I?" She groped her little hands up at him, tears long forgotten.

"Alright, Hima" He chuckled at her eagerness. "Holding this light is going to be a really important job," He held out the light to her. "Can I count on you?"

Himawari nodded vigorously, taking the flashlight and making shadow puppets against the wall.

"Boruto," Naruto called. The little boy hadn't so much as moved from his position. "I'm gonna need your help.

"Don't want to," He bit out.

The tall blond nudged him good naturedly. "Oh come on Boru, you'll like it, I promise."

With a light source present, Boruto must have gained some confidence and came out just enough so that a blond haired blue eyed blanket creature joined them, "What's that for?"

"Oh, didn't you know?" Naruto replied matter of factly, "One of the only cures for thunderstorms is making a pillow fort."

Their son didn't seem convinced and eyed the pile warily, "Cure?"

Naruto's smile only grew, "Yep. The pillows will protect us from the thunder and lightning. The stronger the fort, the safer we are!" He cast a knowing glance at Hinata before addressing the little boy, "I thought you knew that."

Boruto's grip loosened on the sheets and he nodded, "Yeah. Uh huh, I did."

"Well you've gotta come and help me build it to protect Mommy and Hima, okay?"

This halted his movement. He pulled at a loose string on the blanket, mumbling, "Mom's not scared of anything."

"That's not true," Hinata gazed at him wide eyed. How he could have _ever_ come to that conclusion was beyond her. "I'm scared of a lot of things."

"Really?" He asked quietly. It was obvious his feelings were still a little hurt from earlier.

"Yeah," She nodded. "But you know, it's okay to be afraid, honey. Even the strongest shinobi gets scared sometimes."

"That's right! I know I'm scared of lots of stuff." Said Naruto, a little self righteously. But if there was anyone to be less than impressed, or at least pretended to be, with Naruto's title as strongest shinobi in the world, it was their five year old son. In his eyes, he was just their dad. Their goofy, scatterbrained dad who he loved to bits all the same.

His sister had lost interest in her shadow figures and jumped next to him,"I'm scared of stuffs too, Boruto. But then Mommy's there and Daddy too. So then 'm not scared no more."

"You're squishing me!" He whined at the three year old, most definitely feeling embarrassed by all the attention that was on him.

Regardless, after some eager imploring from Himawari and wiping the tear tracks from his cheeks, he slipped out of his cave to assist his father and sister in the fort building.

Naruto smiled at his son, and instructed him in the proper construction while Hinata was left wondering just how versed Naruto was in the art. As the three erected walls and a legitimate roof, she suspected her husband was really a professional.

There'd be the occasional flash of lightning or rumble of thunder and Boruto would tense up, but through some light encouragement, he was back up again, debating with Naruto on which pillows would be best for reinforcing the walls, while Himawari giggled at it all in delight.

Hinata had been assigned flashlight duty, as Himawari didn't want to be left out of the action. She was content, watching her favorite people in the whole world having fun, though she could still hear his scream echoing around in her mind.

In no time at all, they'd built a real fort, brimming with plenty of blankets and pillows. Boruto did look a little less skittish, but the storm still raged on. With the distraction of fort building completed, it wouldn't be long before he realized couch cushions could only muffle so much sound. The two parents exchanged a look.

"Now that the fort's all done, how about a story?" Naruto suggested over another round of thunder.

Boruto already looked happier, "Yeah! What kind of story?"

"Well what do you guys want to hear?"

Boruto had always been an avid fan of tales from their younger shinobi years. Where his father's were just too cool to be true, his mother's were definitely, absolutely one hundred percent factual (regardless if she did happen to make them up.)

The eagerness on his face disappeared when several consecutive snaps of lightning rang outside the room and he gasped, shutting his eyes tight.

When the clamor of lightning passed, Hinata gently rubbed her son's back.

"I've got a story for us."

The children didn't shift from their spots but she sensed that they were listening. "This one's about a time when I was scared." She said with a smile, "Terrified, actually."

Naruto cocked his head from where he sat and seemed as intrigued as Boruto and Himawari.

"It all started in the village. That day, some bad people decided to pay us a visit and—"

"_Real_ bad guys?" Boruto brightened already, his five year old excitement taking hold. "What were they doing here?"

"Well…" she trailed off. "They came to see Daddy."

The children's eyes bounced to their father, seemingly amazed that bad guys wanted anything to do with him. (They'd be surprised.)

"These bad people did some mean things to the shinobi trying to keep them away. But then someone really brave returned to the village and told them that they had to leave. Do you know who it was?"

They shook their heads in unison. Hinata laughed and said, "It was your father."

"Really?" Boruto gawked.

She nodded, "Yeah. Your father stood up to their super strong leader and fought him head on."

"What? Why?" Himawari whimpered like her father was in danger at that very moment.

"Because," Hinata reassured her daughter. "He's the strongest shinobi in the whole world and would do anything to protect the people he loves."

Himawari shuffled a little closer into Naruto's side while Boruto fidgeted with anticipation, "What happened next?"

Hinata continued, "Well he fought valiantly. He'd been away training and was very strong but," Her audience leaned in. "The bad people tricked your father and were about to take him away. I was so scared. I didn't know what to do. No one did. He was the strongest shinobi we had, who could help him? Then all of a sudden, I stopped thinking about what _could_ be done and just _did_ it. I went up to the bad people and said that they couldn't hurt daddy anymore. I was scared for a lot of reasons. I wasn't nearly as strong as your father and I was facing a very powerful man, but mostly I was scared for your father. That something would happen to him. But it was okay because he's strong, stronger than anybody I know and he never let anything stop him, so I could rest easy knowing that he'd be there when it was all over."

"Did you save Dad?" Boruto asked. Hinata noticed how he didn't even regard the loud rumbling outside the house and smiled softly.

"No, not quite," she laughed. "In the end he saved me and everyone else in the village, many more times after that too."

Boruto, however, was not satisfied with her ending.

"Mom," He whined, "You didn't win! How's that a good story?"

"Because," She stroked her son's bangs back. "It's important to know that even though you may be scared, the people you love will always be there."

"I never get scared," he mumbled.

"If you ever _do_ get scared," She corrected. "Me and Dad, and Hima too, will always be here for you."

He poked his fingers together, "But that can't be true."

"Why not?"

"Cause," Boruto's face drew up in frustration. "Well, what if you're gone on a mission." His cheeks were pink. "I… I'm still gonna be scared. And you won't be there."

Hinata flinched. The five year old's words cut deep and she was left stunned. Naruto was quick to her defense though, "Boruto, you have to learn how to have a little faith. Mom and I are thinking about you and Himawari both all the time even when we're away."

"Yeah. That's right," Hinata added, regaining her composure. "You're in our hearts and we're in yours. When I'm scared, all I have to do is remember the people I love and how much they love me and then I feel a lot better. If you try it too, I know it'll work."

Boruto thought for a moment before turning his blue orbs up to her, "Promise?"

She could still feel the sting from earlier, could still feel his fear. The mother put a smile on her face all the same and nodded, "Of course."

She hoped and prayed that Boruto found a way to feel safe. Her motherly instincts made it hard enough to leave her children on missions. Something within her always whispered that they needed her, that she had to be close to them, but over time, it had gotten a little easier. They were growing up. Tonight only made her guilt worsen. What if things like tonight happened all the time? Would she grew distanced from them? Would they begin to hate her if her promises of safety amounted to nothing?

"Mom?" She blinked out of her thoughts. "Got anymore stories?"

Her eyes were heavy with unshed tears and she was afraid that she'd reached her limit, exhaustion weighing heavy on her emotions.

Once again Naruto was already two steps ahead of her, "How about one from your old man, Boruto?"

Their son made a bit of a face, before it gave way into a concealed grin, "Well, I _guess_… Won't be as good as Mom's though."

It was late and Himawari was already nodding off in her mother's lap, but they were all happy. The storm was moving on and they had all made it through.

Right?

…

Hinata laid beside Himawari, propped up on one elbow, stroking the hair out of her sleeping daughter's face. Naruto mirrored her on his side of the bed where their son had crashed. He'd been silent for a while and she wondered if something was wrong.

Her worrying was put to rest when Naruto let out a purely dramatic yawn, stretching and dropping back against his pillow, admiring the handiwork of Fort Uzumaki.

"I think these kids of ours have got me beat in fort building, don't you think, Hinata?"

She smiled a bit, "Their technique is certainly sound."

"When I was their age," He chuckled, "All I could manage was a pile of pillows with me burrowed underneath."

She forced something she hoped sounded like a convincing laugh before focusing back on the sleeping figures beside her.

"Hey," Naruto prompted through another yawn. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," she managed quietly and Naruto was silent for a while. Threading her fingers through Himawari's hair she found her mind wandering again. Naruto had been so quick acting tonight. He'd seemed to know what to do at every turn, rescuing her from her failures. The guilt was crushing her and she hoped he hadn't seen the few tears that were escaping.

"Hinata, you did fine. You don't have to worry, you know."

"I wasn't—"

"Hinata, how long have we known each other now? More than twenty years now _and_ we're married." He snorted, "Hate to break it to you honey but I think I know you as well as you know me."

Hinata sighed, relenting, "I guess you're right..."

"So what's wrong?"

"What if…" Her voice was unsteady. "What if Boruto was right?"

"About what?"

Hinata blinked the tears out of her eyes, "About him being safe when he's not around us. I didn't even know he was that afraid of storms, but I was so worried about Himawari tonight, I didn't even think about how he felt." the ache dealt to her made a reappearance, "I could just _feel_ how scared he was. Naruto, he was terrified. A-And I don't ever want them to feel that way. But it's only going to get worse isn't it? Th-they're getting older and I'm going to take on more missions and y-you—"

"Hinata, hey," Naruto interrupted her spiral. "Calm down, it's alright." His hand had come to rub her shoulder, one of the only things that could be done to soothe her given the two sleeping children between them.

She found herself struggling to do so. She couldn't just calm down, these were her babies, if anything happened and she couldn't—

"_Hinata_." He repeated firmly. "It's okay. He's fine. We're fine." Her breathing began to regulate itself and she found his hand resting soothingly against her cheek. Hinata intertwined their fingers and focused on just taking steady breaths.

"I'm sorry," Unable to bring her voice higher than a whisper. It was a miracle Boruto and Himawari we're still sleeping soundly after her meltdown.

"Don't apologize. You're their mother, it's okay to worry about these things."

"Yeah but, it still hurts."

"You know it's funny," He spoke after a moment. _Funny?_ Hinata didn't think anything about this was funny. "It's just that Boruto was having this same problem half an hour ago, a problem _you_ solved."

"What do you mean?"

He chuckled, "Honestly, Hina I'm glad he takes after you. I'm not as good as giving advice as you are, and you managed to advise the both of you."

"I still don't understand…"

"Well, you're right. The kids _are_ growing up and yeah that's going to be scary. They're not always going to tell us stuff and we're not always going to be with them. But they're your kids. They love you as much as you love them, that won't ever change you know."

"Even back then," Naruto added nostalgically. "When I defeated Pain and came out of Nine Tails, I didn't know what happened to you. If you'd…" He faltered. "Well I guess you could say I was scared back then too. A whole lot actually."

Although what she did was considered brave and made a good story for the kids, it was one of those moments that Hinata looked back on with embarrassment. All that drama for what? A metal rod through her chest?

"I guess I never apologized for that either,"She said offhandedly. "I got in the way."

"'_Got in the way?'_ Hinata that has to be the craziest thing you've ever said. You risked your life to save me, even though you were scared. And it's because of you that I got stronger."

"Because of me?" She snorted despite herself. "It was all you in the end."

"You're wrong," He was determined to get his point across, "You always knew exactly what to say. If it weren't for you, who knows what Pain would've done to the rest of the village? I probably wouldn't have gotten to Nagato, and Kakashi and so many others would've still been…" Being mindful of the younger ears that could have been listening, he paraphrased, "..._gone_. And who knows where the war would have ended up had you not slapped me out of it. All that is because of you."

She laughed, the last of her tears falling, "And you say you don't have a way with words."

He smiled, "You've just rubbed off on me after all these years."

"Thank you, I feel a lot better."

"You know," He began on a lighter note, "Since you're my hero, technically that makes you the Hero of the Hero of Konoha, right?"

She struggled to contain her laughter, covering her mouth and sinking down into her pillow, "Stop."

"No really! I'm pretty sure that gives you superiority rights, Hina."

"As if the world would ever start worshipping your wife over you," She said, grinning.

"That doesn't sound impossible. You're already like ten times better looking than I am—"

Hinata blushed heavily, "Naruto—"

"—and I know these guys," He said referencing their children. "already adore you. All that's left is to spread the word that I'm renouncing my Hero-ship to you."

"Go to sleep, Naruto."

"Hey you know what else?" He was really getting into it. "Not even Sasuke fought Pain. Let's see… it was only you, me, and Pervy Sage who fought the Yahiko Pain. That's some pretty top tier stuff Hinata—"

"_Goodnight_." She nudged him affectionately. Her husband relented his tirade and Hinata shortly fell asleep with the loves of her life, underneath their homemade, fear-busting pillowfort.

(And if that wasn't a way to spend a stormy night, what was?)

…

**The first of many in this collection! Feel free to send me some prompts, leave me some reviews. All the things.**


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